Star Wars: Empire's End
by Calrissian66
Summary: Ever wondered what happened to the remaining Imperial fleet after Jakku? In this canon-accurate story, you will! Follow Sorfe, the captain of the Star Destroyer Obedience and his First Officer Course as they come to grips to what the Empire might become as they try to hide and rebuild the Empire from the dreaded New Republic. This Story is Canon-Accurate!
1. Jakku

_After the battle of Endor, the Empire began to collapse. Its forces separated from each. It's lost its grip over the galaxy as countless of systems flock to the new Republic. As the months passed, it was clear that the Empire was losing._

 _Now, a large portion of the Imperial Fleet has gathered over Jakku for a final stand against the New Republic. A battle almost as decisive as the one raged over the moon of Endor, almost a year ago._

A silence ensued inside the lift as Sorfe continued to straighten his uniform and his hair. He sprayed a scent of lavender on the uniform, giving the divine scent of Naboo to the lift. Peace, he thought. Alone in the lift was the second state of peacefulness he could ever be in the ship. Beaten only by hyperspace.

The metallic doors of the elevator slid open with a clank as he was greeted by the bridge of the Star Destroyer Obedience. He took a deep breath and began walking forward. The scent of the lavender fades away into the room as it was replaced by the smell of sweat and exhaustion of the bridge crew. Many of whom have been working tirelessly the last few weeks and are eagerly awaiting rest. The sound of the ventilation system could be heard faintly over the chatter of the skeleton crew. Some were talking indistinguishable words to one another while others were glued to their respective stations.

As he approached the window of the bridge, he gazed out. He saw a dozen Star Destroyers all in formation, waiting for an impending arrival of the New Republic fleet. Their Intel had informed them that the New Republic has recently mobilised their fleet and now, they were prepared for it. At the center of the formation was the Super Star Destroyer Ravager with Star Destroyers forming a defensive perimeter around it. _Only 23 Star Destroyers left_ he murmured to himself.

Only 9 cycles ago, Galius Rax had ordered all remaining Imperial forces to Jakku for a final stand against the New Republic. It wasn't long before their ship arrived at the system and prepared for the upcoming battle. As he continued to gaze upon the massive Imperial fleet, his second in command came towards him.

"Captain?" He asked. "Here are the logistics report of the munitions of the ship left after our recent skirmish over Mimban."

"Yes of course." Answered Sorfe in response. He had completely forgotten about the request but tried his best to sound glad anyways. Recently, there wasn't much to do but wait for the Republic to arrive. He took the data pad and examined it, though his mind was on something else. Just last year, he was enjoying his daily routine patrolling the busy skies of Corusant before Endor. Course, his second in command noticed his peculiar behaviour and questioned.

"Sir, is everything alri-" just then alarms started to go off somewhere beneath the catwalk they were standing on. The sudden noise gave everyone a shell shock as their eyes immediately went to check the screens of their respective stations.

"Captain, Republic ships are approaching out of hyperspace. Dozens of them, all in attack formation. Coming out of sector 6-C" Voiced one of the skeleton crew underneath the catwalk. Just then, a Mon Calamari cruiser appeared from the blackness of space. Followed by another, support ships soon appeared as well accompanied by squadrons of star fighters. The New Republic has arrived.

The initial barrage of fire was what shook their ship first. The vibrations of the impact travelled along the Star Destroyer and caught most of the crew by surprise. Sorfe himself lost balance as his face met the cold metallic floor of the bridge.

He was nearly knocked down again when he tried to stand up, but was caught by his second in command who held him in place. Now the Republic ships were beginning to encircle the Imperials while they stood their ground.

"Orders Sir!" Demanded his crew as desperate as they can sound to Sorfe's ears. "They are targeting our shields. Shields at 86% integrity and holding."

"Fire on the cruisers, target and disable their shields and their weapon systems." Said Sorfe after realizing the state of the battle. As if by command, other ships around the Obedience soon started firing at the same time. This managed to effectively damage some frigates but due to top notch Mon Calamari shielding, only weakening most. Though it did not seem like it, everything was going just as planned.

"Captain, a Republic corvette is severely damaged, its shields and weapons are offline, and should we give chase?" Asked one of the crew.

"Do not break formation! Our fighters would finish the job." Shouted Sorfe in a stern manner, one that actually managed to turn some heads in their direction. Before the battle, every ship was given specific orders by Rax himself to stay in formation.

Right then, two ships in view of the Obedience began shifting to the side exposing the Ravager to a cruiser. Suddenly an intense barrage of turbo laser fire streamed across the battle and just like that, a Mon Calamari cruiser was off the radar. Not long after, there was another opening, as another Republic ship fell.

One by one, ship after ship, corvettes, frigates and cruisers blossomed into fire as the Imperials continued on with their strategy.

They were winning the battle.

When it almost seemed like a decisive victory for the Imperials, a Republic Star-Hulk ship collided with an Imperial Star Destroyer. This collision had surprised everyone on the bridge with even a few gasps were heard from somewhere in the bridge. Sorfe himself was shocked by it, though he did not make his reaction as obvious as the others in the bridge. The crew needed a leader. He assumed it was a last resort action from the crew of the Star-Hulk when they knew their inevitable demise was approaching. Pathetic.

After the collision, almost nothing was left but chunks of debris cluttered in space. This however, made it clear that there was now a gap in their defensive formation. Another ship, badly damaged have made it through the blockage. Another Star-Hulk. Sorfe had requested he moved his ship to cover the hole. But the response came in too late.

"Captain?" Voiced a member of the bridge crew, her voice filled with dread and uncertainty. Sorfe turned to look at her. "The Star-Hulk ship that made it through the blockade its tractor beam is-" A slight pause and then she muttered the words "operational"

"What?!" Questioned Sorfe in disbelief. He didn't think it was a major issue until he remembered the first class tractor beam retrofitted into the new Star-Hulk design that could bring down an entire fleet. Sorfe started thinking of the worst possible outcome before he asked the crew its target. The answer, froze him in place.

A long pause and then, "The Ravager" voiced someone near the back of the room. Everyone then looked at each other, shock, fear and disbelief in their eyes. Sorfe himself was shocked but tried to hide his expression by looking out the window panels of the bridge. He removed his cap, straitened his uniform and his hair and took a deep breath before wearing back his cap. He turned around, almost gracefully and began the onslaught of orders.

"Move our ship in between the Ravager and the Republic ships, provide cover fire for it and try to contact the Ravager's bridge. Order all TIEs to intercept any hostile star fighters that are targeting the Ravager, I don't want a single one through." He took another deep breath and saw to it that everyone on the bridge was up on their feet and scrambling around the room. He turned to see the Ravager and touched his forehead. He felt drops of sweat slowly making their way down his face, the stress of the battle and the fear in his heart. The tables have turned.


	2. The Ravager

"Captain! One of the Ravager's engines were destroyed by enemy fighters. More are approaching, and half of our squadron of TIEs have been eliminated. I'm afraid the Ravager is going to make contact Captain, with or without our help." Said one of the bridge crew, Sorfe didn't even look at the man talking, his mind was so preoccupied with the battle that it seemed like a waste of energy and time to do so.

"Order our squadrons back, leave the Ravager. Everyone is abandoning ship, escape pods are being jettisoned as we speak." Replied Sorfe, trying not to delay the inevitable. Just as he said that, another engine just went offline.

"Very well Captain." said the bridge officer in a hesitant manner. He then relayed the order to the TIEs. There was a brief silence in Sorfe's ears despite the endless voices of officers relaying orders and information towards one another. He was having another panic attack. His breathing became deep and long, the walls seem to be closing in and the voices of the bridge slowly began to fade away.

He was taken back to Naboo, his wife sitting in the balcony of a large mansion. It had complex designs carved on the wall, even the railing of the balcony. The breeze blowing his wife's hair back as she stares at the lake. The lake glistening in the beautiful rays of the sunlight that manage to penetrate the clouds, creating a breath-taking view of the lake and the forest surrounding it. So peaceful he thought. So perfect.

Just then, his wife turned her head ever so slightly slightly towards him and slightly readjusted her lips and jaw as if preparing to talk.

"Beautiful isn't it?" She said. Her voice as heavenly as he remembered. To that, Sorfe simply nodded and also gazed out into the lake. A moment of peace ensued between them as they hear the tranquil waves of the water, the rustling of leaves and the chirping of birds. They viewed the pine trees lining the edge of the body of water and the waves reflecting sunlight into their eyes. The silence was seemingly unending.

"This is how it should've been, just me, you and our child. Right here." Said Sorfe, breaking the silence. To that, his wife just smiled and looked away.

"You see that?" His wife gestured to the sun. Sorfe also looked to the sun as well, oddly it did not blind him as usual but he instead felt a sense of peace.

Suddenly, the sun blossomed into a ball of fire. The scene around him began to change, and he was now where he was earlier. Looking out the window panels at a bright light. Only the light had not come from a star like he first thought, but instead from a ship on the surface. The fire was quickly covered as fast as it ignited by a large dust cloud of sand and debris, engulfing the surface with a cloud of dust. He realised the bridge was now silent. He turned his head around to the crew. All of whom were staring back at him. _What had happened_ he asked.

"The Ravager Captain, it's gone." Replied the first officer, his voice full of dread and sorrow.

Sorfe looked down to try and hide his expression. He knew a lot of good men and women aboard that ship.

"We can grieve later." Sorfe began, his head beginning to rise. "Right now, we have a battle to win. Not just for the Emperor, but also for the brave men and women we are avenging. Mark my words people, the New Republic will pay for they've done! Now, prepare for full-combat capability-" a slight pause and then" we are entering Jakku."


	3. In Atmosphere

As the Obedience descended down, the scope of the battle became clearer. The battle that was taking place in atmosphere was as chaotic as the one in space. Star Destroyers and Republic cruisers slugging it out with each other, supported by squadrons of star fighters weaving in and out of each other, filling the sky with red and green plasma.

Almost instantaneously, as soon as the Obedience entered the stratosphere, it intercepted a whole slew of distress signals. Without hesitation Sorfe ordered all the remaining fighters at his disposal to assist however was stopped by his first officer.

"Sir, I suggest we hold on to our current fighters for our own defence. Right now, we must think of our own ship first." Interrupted Course, his first officer and closest comrade ever since the Academy.

To that, Sorfe simply nodded in response, shocked by the desperation in Course's voice.  
"Find out how many ground assault teams we still have. I want full-logistics. Troops, armoured vehicles and carriers."

"Yes sir." Course said in full attention, then he scurried of pass the bridge crew. Further vibrations begins as the ship entered a duel with a New Republic heavy cruiser. The cruiser however was already heavily damaged. The Star Destroyer managed to disable it with ease using its remaining 54 XX-9 heavy turbolaser batteries targeting its shielding first, then its engines. It wasn't long before it was up in flames and succumbed to the planet's gravity. The victory however was short lived as yet again, the Obedience was challenged by another ship.

"Captain. A Nebulon B frigate is engaging us sir. Shields are still operational." A pause while the officer checked back into his console. "There is also a Mon Calamari cruiser approaching our current trajectory in ETA 15 minutes."

"How many squadrons do we still have?" asked Sorfe.

"Dozen TIEs, 7 interceptors and 2 bombers sir." answered the officer, looking up towards Sorfe.

"Launch the bombers to strike the frigate. Order all remaining fighters to escort them and return fire with our remaining turbolasers. That Captain has made his final mistake." Sounded Sorfe, his voice cold and rough. No one was going to bring down his ship. Not then, not now.

It seems in the end, Course's suggestion to hold on to the remaining TIEs paid off. As if on command, he was then seen shuffling pass the crew towards Sorfe with the logistics of the ground force they still had in their stocks.

"Here you go Captain." he said whilst giving the report over to Sorfe. "1,200 ground troops remain, the current transports we have should be sufficient to transport them all, but we can only do it 500 at a time. They are preparing for battle as we speak." to that Sorfe simply nodded. A gesture of acknowledgement or a gesture to continue he wasn't sure. But Course took it as the latter. "We still have about 3 AT-AT walkers and a dozen AT-STs to support the ground troops. Again the transports could only unload a few at a time." continued Course, then taking a deep breath.

"Very well-" started the Captain before he was interrupted by the not so subtle cheering of the bridge crew. "What happened?" asked Sorfe looking out the viewport. Still a little startled by the sudden sound.

"The frigate sir, it's down." answered one of crew, suddenly reminded by the level of ranks.

"What about the cruiser?"

"It changed its trajectory towards another ship. It's now battling the Endurance Captain." said the officer. To that, Sorfe spared a look towards Course. Course noticed it and instantly knew what it meant.

"Your decision" said Course, almost in a smug manner. He turned his head towards Sorfe, expecting an answer.

"We help." said Sorfe finally. To that, the whole bridge shuffled and scrambled amongst each other, shouting orders to one another and eyes finding their respective screens.

Course couldn't say that he agreed with that decision, neither was he surprised. As he was about to help some members of the crew, Sorfe called out to him.

"And Course, you're in charge of helping our forces on the ground. Give them an edge." to this, he nodded approvingly. For a decade, he wanted to command a ground assault on a rebel base. He guess this was close enough.


	4. Evacuation

_Sacrifice_. In every military, every single man and women you see, have sacrificed something in their lives to be where they're at. Sorfe was no exception. He had a home, one waiting for him on Naboo. A wife to come back to and the life of fatherhood that he sacrificed.

He looked around the bridge, wondering what the crew has sacrificed. From a navigational officer to the janitor, they had all gave up something to be here at this exact moment. As he was in his thoughts, he suddenly remembered his duty as Captain and sprang into action after recalling one crucial aspect of the battle.

"Officer" he called out to a man running pass his. He looked a little shocked by this encounter with the Captain but to his credit did not falter. It was obvious this was his first time on the bridge. Probably as a replacement. He thought. "Alert all our remaining battery cannons to-"

He was interrupted by a blue hologram coming to life on the middle of the catwalk the light blue reflection on the floor gave the whole bridge a slight blue tinge. It showed a man, who has very clearly seen the worse of battle, he was quite scruffy looking for a man of his age Sorfe thought to himself. He wore his uniform neatly and with pride with a General insignia pin clearly shown on his uniform. His hair was neat and combed straight. He had very subtle chiselled features that some might even find charming. He looked somewhat like royalty by the way his appearance seemed. The man inhaled a deep breath before starting his announcement. His voice a very prominent one. He has obviously given many speeches in his days.

"This is General Landal of the remaining Imperial fleet. Galius Rax has perished on the planet surface-" he exhaled and took another breath of air before continuing. "All remaining Imperial ships are to rendezvous at the following coordinates. You are given fifteen minutes to leave the planet's atmosphere to form the remaining fleet over the planet, which will then retreat through hyperspace at the same time." the ship shook from an impact stuttering the holo feed but they had managed to hear the last proud saying of being in this faction. "For the glory of the-" then the signal was lost. Everyone on the bridge looked around in confusion, even the janitor. They were all looking at Sorfe for orders as per usual. Sorfe took a deep breath himself.

Perfect, thought Sorfe. He had to come in and save the day. 

Meanwhile in the hangar, everyone was shouting orders towards one another similar to the bridge, but a lot more chaotic. The hanger was crowded with people. Troopers rushing into their transports wearing pristine white body armour. Officers scurried pass them with their sleek grey uniforms and caps. Alarms were blaring and lights were flashing red as ships begin to take off for the surface of Jakku in a hurry and droids moving slowly pass the men preparing for battle. Amidst the scrambling crew was Course sitting down on a crate looking around the hangar similar to a child filled with wonder. Although it all seemed like utter chaos to the rest of the crew, to Course, it was almost a sanctuary. He relished in the thought of a whole army under his command. However, it was not for reasons one might first assume. He basically saw this whole process as an escape from his usual, rather routine time on the bridge relaying whatever orders Sorfe seem fit. He would much rather be in the middle of action.

Today of all days however, he was not doing this for a personal agenda. Instead, for his fallen comrades during the war with the despicable Rebel Alliance and all those good men and women who passed with the Ravager. He stood up, eyed the crowd of men and women almost suspiciously and began answering the bombardment of requests and orders he had to approve and facilitate. Just then, a young officer came up to him. Unlike others, this was someone Course actually knew.

"Sir!" he shouted out. "I heard they were mobilising the ground assault team and you're in charge. Need any help?" he asked in a strange exciting manner.

"Are we having this conversation again officer Quint?" answered Course with a sigh.

"Oh come on. I could be your eyes on the ground and report to you if anything happens." said the officer seemingly begging to go down to the surface.

"When are you going to learn that there's more than just shooting rebels and commanding squads of Stormtroopers?" to that the officer looked down on the floor with his head tilted down. A sign of defeat. He did have this conversation before, too many to count. So he knew when he had lost. Without any need to further the conversation, he began to walk away looking disappointed. A usual sighting for Course. Somehow, this seemingly futile sign of defeat had made Course change his busy mind as he called out to the officer. He came back almost excitedly while trying to resist a smile.

"You see that transport?" asked Course pointing at a sentinel-class troop transport being boarded by a dozen Stormtroopers. "Go join them. Remember, report back to me after you're done. No exceptions."

"Thanks sir!" he answered, somewhat jokingly. Then he slid off pass the passing men, women, machinery and droids.

"Wait!" luckily he managed to here Course after some distance apart. "Good luck Son." To that, the young Quint just smiled back and continued running. He managed to board the shuttle just in time as the door was closing and when the inside was being pressurised. Normally Course never believed in the force. But today is an exception. He hoped the force will guide his Son and protect him from whatever danger he faced on the surface. Though he was young, Quint was very skilled with a blaster and was always top in his class. Maybe he didn't need the force after all.

Just then, a droid appeared from the crowd approaching Course. An astromech painted black. A reflectivity old model. It spun around to identify Course and then projected a hologram of Sorfe. A live feed from the bridge.

"Course, how is the attack going?" He asked in a hurried manner. His jaw was a little out of place and he was sweating profusely. Something was wrong.

"Well, we have transported about 4,000 men and most assault vehicles. The shuttles-" he didn't finish before he was interrupted by Sorfe's panic voice.

"Stop! Halt all transports. I've just received orders. We are evacuating the planet." the news struck Course like a blaster shot through the heart. Now he only had one concern. His only child he'd just sent down to the planet. He turn around to see that the shuttle had already went, giving him the same feeling as he just had but a lot worse. He became sweaty as he stuttered for words.

"That can't be right... I just... How much time do we have?" He manages to blurt out.

"13 minutes" answered Sorfe grudgingly. "We won't have time to retrieve our personal on the ground and they seem to be jamming our signal. I'm afraid we'll have to leave them behind. Prepare your crew for vacuum conditions." then the hologram disappeared from view.

 _That was it_ Course thought to himself. He had sent his only child down to the surface without a ship to return to. _What could I do_ he asked over and over again. No, he was going to try he said. He is not going to leave his Son behind on some force forsaken planet.

The speaker began to sound stating that all launches are now prohibited. Course quickly ran to the comms tower overlooking the hangar to ask for assistance. The door slid open with a clang showing dozens of officers desperately trying to establish a comm channel but to no avail.

"Officer. Are you able to penetrate their jamming signal?" he asked the head of the room trying to sound calm. Though it did not sound the way it wanted it to.

"I'm sorry sir we're doing do best we can." the officer manage to blurt out before his eyes found the screen again wiping his sweat. It was obvious he did not want to talk at the moment. He was too preoccupied with alarms blaring out here and there. A simple look around had told Course that he wouldn't get any answers from anyone else. He was beginning to lose hope.

He decided that only one person can help him get his son back now. That person was the Captain. He left the Comm tower as fast as he could without running. He weaved pass people with such agility that he even surprised himself. Nine minutes he said to himself. Nine minutes. 

"How are the engines coming?" shouted Sorfe toward the bridge. He was now desperate. He only had eight minutes left to bring his crew and his ship to orbit safely. Though he was almost above the atmosphere, he was being pursued by Republic ships constantly firing upon his ship.

"They are going as fast as they could Captain! If they go any faster our ship's hull might burn up." under constant barrage from enemy ships, the hull integrity is not to be pushed above its limit.

Under normal circumstances, Sorfe will be experiencing one of his panic attacks again but now, the remainder of the fleet is in clear view from the glass of the bridge. This had managed to calm him down just enough to not slide into distress again. The apparent lack of Republic ships in orbit were also the cause for the decrease in agitation. It was now clear, they were going to make it. Just as it all was going well, Sorfe's first in command appears from the lift walking towards him.

"Captain, I am in need of help-" before he was interrupted by Sorfe's voice.

"Not now Course, we are in the middle of an evacuation. Jump when we have obtained the coordinates." he said to Course before turning to talk to one of the navigational officers. Sorfe sounded calm and soft as if the battle had been won.

"Yes, it's about the evacuation." taking a pause expecting Sorfe to answer. To his surprise none came. Sorfe just turn his head slightly to lay eyes upon Course. To that he continued. "What about our troops on the ground? We can't just leave them there to die."

"I'm sorry Course but it's for the good of the ship and its crew. The safety of whom is my responsibility." Sorfe explains to Course. "Right now it's either they die or we all die." He said.

This however manages to tick off Course. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a punch came from him directed towards Sorfe. It landed square on the captain's cheek as he lands on the floor. This swift move had surprised everyone on the bridge where even the security had not seen coming. After the contact, the security managed to pin Course down on the floor. The bridge crew still staring at the whole incident unfolding in front of them.

"Is this what it has come to? Take him away!"  
To that the Stormtroopers dragged him toward the lift. Sorfe stood up and wiped his lips from the blood coming out of it. He turned just in time to see the stars elongate to form a streak of light towards the ships until the fleet, the planet and the New Republic had vanished out of sight.

They had entered hyperspace.


	5. The Cell

_Peace_. After every battle, there comes a moment of peace. Whether the battle was lost or won, peace will manage to weave itself into the moment in the end. However, today Course didn't have the luxury of peace. How could he? His own son was now on a planet that was being torn apart as he pondered.

He remembered his son's eager face as a child when he first enlisted in the Empire. He remembered his son's soft cherry red cheeks and his innocent eyes all too well. Long ago, when his son was of age, he asked for permission to join the army, just as his father did. Now, after nearly a decade, his response had finally come around to betray him.

He looked around the cell. It was dimly lit by a single source of light on the wall. He could see specks of dust flying in front of his face even when he moved very slightly. He wasn't sure if it was from his uniform or his seat. It had been a while since these cells have been used. Its last user was about a year ago. When the Empire was still the main government of the galaxy. When this Star Destroyer was being used as more of a patrol ship to police random rebellious systems. _Those were the days_ he thought. Life was simple. His job was simple. Before he was lost in his thoughts the metal door of the cell slid open with a clank.

Course nearly jumped to the sound of the opening door. He looked intently at the door before seeing Sorfe striding into the room. His face still recovering from the punch. His chin was slightly displaced, though Course didn't know if it was from the punch or from his old age. The look on Sorfe's face was something that seemed rare for a man of his type. He looked disappointed. Maybe even a tinge of anger, that however was definitely his type.

"Well?" He asked, trying to suppress his rage. "What to do have to say for yourself?" Course just looked up to meet Sorfe's face before looking back down. Really, he was lost for words and didn't know what to say. He figured saying nothing was the best course of action at the moment. "You just committed a high level of treason! Not to mention embarrassing me in front of the crew, punching your senior officer and resisting arrest." Continued Sorfe expecting an answer. Course on the other hand was thinking of ways to calm the situation, like he always had.

"How's you face?" He asked Sorfe, meeting his eyes once more. To his surprise Sorfe didn't get the sincerity of Course question but instead took it as a feeble excuse of a joke.

"You still think this is a joke! I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation right now. We are at war. Our supplies are running low, our ship's morale is depressing and not to mention, we just lost our final battle to the New Republic. The one that was supposed to restore peace to the galaxy once more! The one we had been preparing for the whole of last year." To that, Course was ticked off. He stood up from his seat seeing eye to eye with Sorfe. That sudden move managed to flinch Sorfe a little though he manages to hold his ground.

"You don't think I know that? You don't _I_ know that?" He repeated. "I'm the one who's been working my ass off year after year, to make sure that this ship, is still flying with you at the helm! Who do you think fixes up all your mistakes every single time? Who do you think faces the consequences in Imperial Court? _Me_. Me Sorfe." he stopped and took a breath whilst looking at Sorfe's stunned expression. "Do you know why I had to do all that? Cause you were just a farm boy from some backwater world who was too ambitious for his own good." he stopped when he realised he was holding Sorfe's collar. He proceeded to back off from Sorfe and murmured something that Sorfe could barely hear.

"I lost my son today, do you have any idea how it feels?" he asked Sorfe. His eyes were beginning to water. He sat back down and rested his head on his hand. Trying his best not to start sobbing there and then.

Sorfe, speechless looked at Course in awe. Never had he seen him so emotional. Never had he seen him so angry. His feelings of anger and betrayal were beginning to fade away. He wanted to place his hand on Course's shoulder but instead found himself heading backwards towards the door. He walked in between the doorway and stopped before murmuring something.

"Yes I do." heard Course, not daring to look up. Then Sorfe proceeded to leave the room and shut the door. Just like that, the cell was quite once again.

Outside, Sorfe was still trying to process what had just happened before he realised that he too had watery eyes. He blinked a few times to stop himself from tearing up but found himself once again on Naboo. This time he was standing at the front of his mansion. The sky was blue with clouds lining it. Birds can be heard accompanied by the rustling of leaves. He gazed upon the magnificent building. Closing his eyes as a fresh breeze hit his face.

However when he opened his eyes, he was met with a blaze. The mansion was now on fire. The sky had turned black with smoke, and the building was collapsing. He was shocked to hear someone screaming for help in the building. He tried to help but couldn't move. He was powerless to save them, just as he had been.

He returned back to the brig. Now sobbing whilst kneeling down on the floor. He had sacrificed everything for this Empire but at what cost? Now all that he sacrificed would go down in vain with the Empire. To that he empathised with Course.

It wasn't long before he was called upon the bridge. He stood up, recomposed himself and walked to the lift. He entered it and pressed on the bridge level. He took one last look at the cell door Course was in before the door shut itself.

Today, after the battle, there was no peace. Not for Course nor Sorfe, as they had sacrificed almost everything they had on a sinking ship. Now all they had left was themselves, their reputation and their honour. Sorfe was not willing to lose that too.


	6. Old Friends

"Captain, Grand Admiral Rae Sloane has ordered all ship commanders to the _Vanquish._ Our ship has also been rerouted around the front nose of the _Vanquish_ by orders of the Grand Admiral." Informed one of the bridge crew as Sorfe entered.

"Very well. Prepare my shuttle for transport." he stopped, thinking about Course. "And commander, you are in charge of making sure that first officer Course is taken care of." he managed to say. To that, the young officer nodded and strides away. Sorfe soon following suit to the hanger.

The shuttle he was boarding was old and not really a shuttle. It was an LA-AT gunship used by the Republic during the clone wars. It was still retro fitted to hold standard clone armour and weaponry, Sorfe thought it was worth keeping around, for nostalgic purposes and also for credits. Clone war era ships are worth quite a few on the black market.

When he arrived in the hanger of the _Vanquish_ , he was greeted by a squad of heavily armed Stormtroopers _._ Those of whom held modified E-11 blasters in their hands and were on high alert. They checked Sorfe's uniform very thoroughly and ordered the pilot to return back to the Obedience. With confirmation from his Captain, he complied.

After the inspection, the Stormtroopers gestured for Sorfe to follow, so he did. He was led into a large room. It used to be a lecture or debriefing room for Stormtroopers. Now it was a large conference room filled with high ranking Imperials from the top to bottom. Now he understood the tight security. They were the last remnants of the Empire.

The room was filling up as when he arrived. He waited around 15 minutes silently whilst pondering his next course of action. Where to get supplies for his ship for example was one of the more pressing issues. As he waited quietly, there was an order given to stand. He complied without hesitation. So did the entire room of Imperials. Suddenly, from somewhere on the catwalk above them, a metal door slid open. Revealing Grand Admiral Sloane, accompanied by a squad of Stormtroopers and the Shadow Council. They walked silently, heads held high showing no weakness. Then, breaking the silence, the Grand Admiral gave the order to sit.

"Greetings, I am Grand Admiral Rae Sloane of the Imperial Fleet. I would first like to apologise for the tight security here aboard the _Vanquish_. In truth, there is a traitor amongst us." The room burst into small pockets of conversations as people looked around them as if looking for the traitor. For a slight second, Sorfe thought of Course in his cell. _No, it couldn't be_ he thought. Course had always remained loyal to the Empire from the start. It couldn't be him. He simply brushed it off as a coincidence and right timing. "That traitor, known as the 'Operator' by our spies, has given away our fleet location to the New Republic. Rest assured, this traitor would be apprehended. A special ISB unit has been preserved for this very problem." she stopped as her eyes gazed out into her audience in silence whilst trying to remember what else was on her mind.

"Now, the reason you have all been gathered here is that I am to inform you that the New Republic has given us a choice to surrender." Now there were bigger stirs of arguments then before, it was much more apparent. "Judging by our current situation, surrendering is not too bad of a decision one could make. So I am giving you all a choice by the next cycle. Those of you who might want to flee and surrender to the New Republic, you will follow General Landal tomorrow. His ship is leaving for Chandrilla at 8 quarter CST time. Those who are still willing to serve what remains of the Empire stay behind. Further instructions would be given then. You are all dismissed."

Immediately, some protests and brawls were happening in the _Obedience_ when Sorfe had informed the ship. His own bridge had become a war zone, though not as intense as the one seen in other ships, the air was full of stress and uncertainty. It could be any moment when a fight would form amongst the crew. Amidst all this chaos, there is only one person whom Sorfe could trust. He quietly walked to the lift and made sure no one was inside before he made his way to the brig. When he opened the cell door, Course was waiting for him.

His eyes were droopy. Dark circles began to form below his eyes. His uniform was wrinkled from his collar to his sleeves. His cap was placed beside him, showing his untidy hair. He looked up towards Sorfe, a grin starting to form.

"What are you smiling for?" asked Sorfe.

"Nothing. Just... you're helpless without Me." answered Course, his smug still present.

"What are you talking about? I've come to check on you."

"Really. Ship in distress, people leaving the fleet and you've come to check on me." Course said sarcastically whilst beginning to lay down on the bench he was now so accustomed to.

"I came to get a second opinion."

"You already have hundreds." He began to readjust his position. "What you need is a competent one."

Sorfe was now become inpatient and a little annoyed. It's true what Course had said to him. He came to get advice from his intelligent First Officer. He really did need Course by his side.

"Just-" he began. "Tell me what you think."

"I think we should surrender." Course said, as clearly and as bluntly as he could.

"You took an oath when you enlisted." Course rolled his eyes at this comment. Sorfe ignored him and continued "You said that you would serve this Empire as best you could. If necessary, give up your life for it."

"The Empire is gone Sorfe. That oath no longer matters."

"Perhaps" replied Sorfe. He didn't know what else to say. There was a moment of silence until an idea sparked in his mind. "I need your help." he finally said.

"Of course you do." replied Course. Sorfe tried not to show his annoyance with that comment and continued on.

"You are my closest and most trusted ally, I can't do this without you." he finally blurted out. With that, Course just rolled his eyes and begin to lay down, using his cap as shade from the light. "-and I might be able to help with Quint."


	7. Stranded

Cold was the night when Quint woke up. The planet of Jakku was eerily silent. The skies were painted by a dark shade of blue that seemed very peaceful. There were barely any clouds on this desert planet, leaving him exposed to the immense beauty of space as countless of stars dotted the sky above. All this changed when he sat up and got a clear view of the surface. The first thing that caught his eye was an Imperial Star Destroyer. However, something was clearly amiss, this was not a mighty product of the Imperial Navy, no, this was a product of its failure.

The destroyer was riddled with holes, from the nose of the destroyer to its iconic shield generators, the destroyer has been badly damaged. Plumes of dark blue smoke rose from the destroyer, illuminated only by the planet's moon and a slight tint of orange from a raging fire within the vessel. No artificial lights can be seen across the landscape, only hundreds of downed Rebel and Imperial vessels lit by their own pockets of fires.

It wasn't long before he was filled with questions. _Had the Empire won? Where is the remaining Imperial fleet? Is my father ok?_ He sat there for a moment, pondering his situation. He was not sure what to think. He began simple breathing exercises to calm himself down to regain at least a decent amount of coherent thinking. _I need to find an Imperial outpost, it's my only way to get back to the fleet,_ he finally thought.

As he began to stand up, he felt an immense pain on his left leg. It was as if he was being stabbed by tiny spikes whenever he attempted to stand. He has never felt anything like it. _Calm down,_ he began. _This is what your training prepared you for._

He looked around for supplies. There were Stormtroopers scattered throughout the site. Dozens from what Quint can tell from where he is. He eyed numerous things that might help him. From a large pole to an astromech droid, he was desperately looking around for anything useful. A DLT-19 caught his attention. It was covered in sand and in no shape to fire but it would work. Without hesitation, he crawled a few meters to pry the weapon of a rebel soldier; a Rodian with pale blue skin, wearing basic fatigues the Rebellion passed off as military gear. _Pathetic._ It obviously didn't manage to stop blaster bolts in the heat of battle. Then again, neither could the Stormtroopers' plastoid armour.

He removed his belt, and began tying the blaster to his thigh. It wasn't much, but it'll make the sprain less miserable than it already was. Using the pole he spotted earlier to help him stand, he started walking east. Limping east more exact. He knew there was a base up east, so that's where he'll start. As he went pass debris after debris, the chances of finding any more survivors are getting slimmer. Had he been the only survivor? The last thing he remembered was getting his shuttle shot down. Before they crashed, he tried his absolute best to contact his father. Maybe he could've help somehow. Alas, he was unable to do so. He didn't even know if his father was alive. _No, stop that. Of course he's alive._

Limping across the landscape, he was really introduced to the scale of the battle. Hundreds of ships crashed along the giant hills of Jakku. Any flat areas are dotted with AT-ATs and transports, Rebel and Imperial alike. Of course, he saw a lot of bodies on his trip. Rebel troopers, are harder to spot, although the Stormtroopers' white plastoid armour really stood out. From the Obedience, the battle seemed small somehow, even contained. How he wished he hadn't begged his father to let him go.

It has been hours since he departed. He was becoming thirsty. There really isn't many places to find drinkable water in the desert. He had to scavenge some. He entered a corvette, one of the Rebellion's. He was cautious at first. He was on an enemy ship, though crashed was still an enemy ship. After roughly 15 minutes within the hallways of the corvette, it was clear that no one was there. No one of threat anyway. While walking past the graveyard of ships, he spotted dozens of scavengers taking the ships apart. They avoided Quint best that can which wasn't hard considering his sprained leg. They didn't want any trouble and neither did he.

He managed to find a few water canteens, filled with distilled water. He also managed to find a few days worth of ration cubes. He kept all his findings in a small pouch he took from a rebel, though large enough to carry everything he had, it wasn't too bulky for his already disabled condition. After making sure he had enough supplies for the next few days, he continued his trek across the freezing desert twilight.

Everything was a bit blurry from there, he just kept on walking for what seemed like days on end. However, as the suns begin to rise, a peculiar site caught his attention. Off in the distance, it seemed that there was a large storm was coming. A sandstorm. He had to think fast, he had to find shelter and quick lest he wants to get buried under heaps of sand. He eyed a cruiser not far from where he was and limped as fast as he could towards it. It was an interdictor cruiser, or what's left of it. From afar, it looked like a pile of metal debris. The familiar ship layout and design was what told Quint he was in an Interdictor. He expected the ship to be similar to others he had been in, barren and empty. However what awaited him next surprised him.

Entering through a breach in the hull, he saw a women sitting down facing a fire with her back facing him. His instincts kicked in first, making him cautious to approach her. Maybe he could attack her and steal her supplies, or maybe he could ask for help? He tried his best to stay quiet, though one can only be so stealthy with a sprained leg. Eventually, she noticed him and turned around, blaster raised. This sudden movement actually startled Quint, almost making him trip.

He was at scared for a brief moment until he realised her uniform was that of the Imperials. All the sand had probably faded away the colour of the uniform from grey to a more bleached look. The women was young, roughly the same age as Quint and probably as inexperienced. She had dark brown eyes which matches her brown hair. She still had her officer's cap on which manages to cover up a lot of her hair to Quint's surprise. Her eyes narrowed as she examined Quint. Quint had his hands raised, he couldn't fight back even if he wanted to. After a few moments of her examining Quint, she finally decided to lower her blaster at the sight of the similar uniform though a little hesitant.

"Ensign Quint. Obedience." He started. After another moment of examining him, she answered.

"Commander Minna. Vanquish." That made Quint feel more reassured. _Commander? Maybe she has a squad nearby?_ "Don't worry about that. At ease soldier." Quint did not even realise he was at attention, he did it as a reflex to the commander rank. He awkwardly stood there for a moment before adhering to the order. "Skip the official pleasantries, right now we must focus on staying alive." Quint nodded in response. It's been long since he last spoken to someone, much less a fellow Imperial.

"What happened to that leg of yours?" she asked sternly. Quint could see the sincerity of her question though.

"Sprained." He replied simply. For the entire conversation, he just answered the commander's questions briefly. It's not just because he's tired but also because of the habit of not talking if not talked to. He could only be more relaxed around his father. Other Imperials don't take to kindly to his casual nature, he learnt that the hard way. _Where is he,_ Quint wondered. He began to zone out before Minna interrupted him.

"Hungry?" She asked while pointing to the fire. There was some kind of animal atop the fire she was apparently cooking. It looked like bird making him think it was one of those scrap vultures he walked past eating junk. Disgusted, he tried to decline politely, though his face didn't cooperated. The commander frowned but said nothing to that, instead she said "Get some rest, we have a long day ahead of us Quint."

Quint couldn't disagree, so he found some long sheet of fabric lying around and used his satchel as a pillow. He began to doze off, hearing the sounds of the sandstorm passing over them.


End file.
